Process for the preparation of glycols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302965-B1
Application number	US-201414781756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2014
Priority date	Apr 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

The invention provides a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, by contacting said starting material with hydrogen in a reactor in the presence of a solvent and a catalyst system with catalytic hydrogenation abilities, wherein the process comprises the steps of: i) introducing a first portion of the starting material into the reactor such that the initial concentration of the saccharide in the solvent in the reactor is no more than 2 wt %; ii) allowing at least 90 wt % of the saccharide in the first portion of the starting material to react; iii) subsequently adding further portions of starting material to the reactor over time; and removing reaction product from the reactor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, by contacting said starting material with hydrogen in a reactor in the presence of a solvent and a catalyst system with catalytic
hydrogenation abilities, wherein the process comprises the steps of:
i) introducing a first portion of the starting material into the reactor such that the initial concentration of the saccharide in the solvent in the reactor is no more than 2 wt %;
ii) allowing at least 90 wt % of the saccharide in the first portion of the starting material to react;
iii) subsequently adding further portions of starting material to the reactor over time; and
iv) removing reaction product from the reactor.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst system comprises at least two active catalytic components comprising, as a first active catalyst component, one or more materials selected from transition metals from groups 8, 9 or 10 or compounds thereof, with catalytic hydrogenation capabilities; and, as a second active catalyst component, one or more materials selected from tungsten, molybdenum and compounds and complexes thereof.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the process is a batch process, wherein in step iii), further portions are added until the total concentration of saccharide in the solvent in the reactor is at least 5 wt %; and wherein in step iv) the reaction product is removed from the reactor after the reaction is complete.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the process is a continuous flow process and the reaction product is removed from the reactor in step iv) in a continuous manner.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the starting material is introduced into the reactor such that the initial concentration of the saccharide in the solvent in the reactor is no more than 1 wt %.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the starting material comprises one or more saccharide selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose and starch.

Assignees

• Shell Oil Co

Inventors

• Van Der Heide Evert
• Wagle Govinda Subbanna

Classifications

• C07C29/60

  by elimination of -OH groups, e.g. by dehydration (C07C29/34 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C07C29/00

  Preparation of compounds having hydroxy or O-metal groups bound to a carbon atom not belonging to a six-membered aromatic ring · CPC title

• C07C29/132 Primary

  by reduction of an oxygen containing functional group · CPC title